Posted 12 years ago
diggertom
(1 item)
found this digging a circa 1900 bottle dump (land fill). what I know: this is a 14 (maybe 16) karat rose gold victorian brooch. back has date, nov 4, 79 (maybe 75-very faint but readable). mine cut diamond in center...it's real had it tested as well as gold. they were not set up for 16 karat test but lady said it tested lightly for 18 karat. has coppery color on back. just dusted it w/ soft tooth brush and water. lots of patina. remember its been in a landfill for over 100 yrs. questions? how can I find who made it? where did diamond come from and gold? what makes it unique? what is its value. is it a small market?
it has 14 little filiments (for lack of better word) around diamond. measures about one and a half by one inch.
tom at: blueinkk@gmail.com
Hi!
Very nice find and interesting way of finding it! The NOV 4, 79 mark is likely the Patent Date for the brooch design or possibly, though more unlikely, for the pin clasp mechanism. It is possible to look up patent dates on jewelry, but it will take a bit of research, though there is the issue of whether it's American or English. Even though your pictures are a bit fuzzy, the detail of the workmanship is beautiful, with lots of attention given by the maker to the life-like quality of the flower. "Odd" Karat readings of 13, 15 or 16 on Victorian jewels are actually very common. If there was a repair to the clasp (looks like a base metal at the closure) then there is a possibility that the maker's mark was wiped out. Lots of Victorian Era jewelers put their marks on the clasp closures of brooches. Flowers are always popular with collectors, especially with Spring around the corner. On your piece, the craftsmanship and the diamond make it a bit more special, but the brooch will need to be cleaned up a bit more before anyone wears it. Keep the gold's dark patina in the recessed areas where it will enhance, say, the veins on the leaves etc, but a careful rub with a gold polishing cloth will really make this piece shine and reveal its inner beauty! Distinctive design elements like those 14 filaments around the diamond might also reveal the maker, especially since this is likely a "patented design". So when you look at Victorian flower pins on Ebay, keep this in mind.